Poll: Is it better to start a translation career as an in-house employee? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Is it better to start a translation career as an in-house employee?".
This poll was originally submitted by Dalibor Uhlik. View the poll results »
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I don't know.
I mean, I have never worked in-house, but I guess that the training (in the broadest sense: terminology, use of CAT tools, use of dictionary...) is definitely an advantage.
On the other side, I think (an opinion that may be confirmed or not by those with relevant experience) that after a long time as an in-house translator, maybe being in the "battlefield" (finding clients and competing) can be very challenging.
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It is not mandatory of course and you can have much success without it, but I think starting as an in-house definitely brings a lot.
Gianluca Marras wrote:
On the other side, I think (an opinion that may be confirmed or not by those with relevant experience) that after a long time as an in-house translator, maybe being in the "battlefield" (finding clients and competing) can be very challenging. Hm, you've got a good point here. It all depends on the kind of company you've been working with (agency or other) and the kind of tasks you've been performing. Working (fully or partly) as a PM can help for the client sourcing side.
There can also be drawbacks to that: for instance if you've worked in a translation agency that pays very low rates to their translators and then go freelance, you might tend to think that these rate are the norm and remain satisfied with them/not dare ask for higher rates.
| | | | Michael Harris 
Germany
Local time: 01:42
Member (2006)
German to English
it must not necessarily be at a translation agency, but I beleive hands on experience is better than only having therotical experience - talking about the field of engineering here, do not know what other fields are like
[Edited at 2010-03-01 11:42 GMT]
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| It depends - No universal answer to that question | Mar 1, 2010 |
It depends on what you expect.
If you give higher priority to regular working hours, it is definitely better.
Some people also have difficulties working alone on their own, some others have too little discipline. Working as in-house employee is a good solution for those people.
If you give higher priority to flexibility in your working schedule or if you wish to optimize / increase your income, then it is definitely better to be self-employed.
Moreove... See more It depends on what you expect.
If you give higher priority to regular working hours, it is definitely better.
Some people also have difficulties working alone on their own, some others have too little discipline. Working as in-house employee is a good solution for those people.
If you give higher priority to flexibility in your working schedule or if you wish to optimize / increase your income, then it is definitely better to be self-employed.
Moreover, if you work as an in-house translator, your work will never bear your name (which can be better in some cases if you make major mistakes in the translation or if insurance issues come up), but it also means you will most probably remain anonymous.
Working freelance, the books, magazines, homepages etc. that you translate do bear your name. It is a kind of reward for your work.
Some have spoken about experience here. What about "studying" translation at university? I did it, and although I had to do several in-house trainings in translation agencies, the most helfpul information I got about practice came from my profs (all of them experienced translators). When I started as a professional translator, I already knew "everything" / I had a solid knowledge and experience about terminology management, CAT tools, prices and practices, negociation tricks, how to handle large jobs, how to get started from the administrative and fiscal point of view, etc.
[Modifié le 2010-03-01 09:52 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Cecilia Civetta
Italy
Local time: 01:42
Member (2003)
Italian to Spanish
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In my experience, it really is. The experience you acquire working inside a translation agency is invaluable, I'd say. Not necessarily as an in-house "employee" though, maybe just as an in-house translator, be it employee or not.
| | | | | Some thoughts | Mar 1, 2010 |
@ Elodie: I don't think the question was about the pros and contras of working in-house, but of beginning by working in-house.
I believe there are many more pros to working freelance, but I still think in-house is a good start.
About studying: I studied everything you mentioned too, and when I graduated, I thought I could call it a "solid knowledge". But hands-on experience proved it was not true. I mean, what you learn at university is a good start, but what you can learn fur... See more @ Elodie: I don't think the question was about the pros and contras of working in-house, but of beginning by working in-house.
I believe there are many more pros to working freelance, but I still think in-house is a good start.
About studying: I studied everything you mentioned too, and when I graduated, I thought I could call it a "solid knowledge". But hands-on experience proved it was not true. I mean, what you learn at university is a good start, but what you can learn further in a translation agency or in another position (especially if you work in a team) goes much further.
@ Cecilia: funny, I always thought "in-house" necessarily meant employee, even one who works remotely (not at the premises). Could a native give their feeling about the meaning of this word? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Depends on availability | Mar 1, 2010 |
I suspect that there are not that many in-house translation places available (the vast majority of translators are freelance, I believe). If you can find a place, it will probably give you a head start in getting past some of the pitfalls involved in starting out directly on your own, but on the other hand that's what I did and I've not regretted it. There is quite a bit of information and support out there (through professional institutions, peer sites like ProZ, etc., and the networking opport... See more I suspect that there are not that many in-house translation places available (the vast majority of translators are freelance, I believe). If you can find a place, it will probably give you a head start in getting past some of the pitfalls involved in starting out directly on your own, but on the other hand that's what I did and I've not regretted it. There is quite a bit of information and support out there (through professional institutions, peer sites like ProZ, etc., and the networking opportunities they provide), so it's not as if anyone needs to be completely isolated.
Perhaps an in-house position would be more advisable for a young translator straight out of university. Many people come into translation as a second career, and therefore have a fair bit of experience of the way the working world operates. ▲ Collapse
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| I do think so | Mar 1, 2010 |
While I can't say it's the best way to start a translation career I have to say that it does help a lot. When you come out of university (like I did 1 year ago) it's hard getting into the savage the working world is, foremost in our field. Most job offers require you being a freelancer and it's very hard becoming one at the beginning. You don't have experience and it implies investing money and losing tons of it too when you don't have clients. That's why I think it has a lot of advantages start... See more While I can't say it's the best way to start a translation career I have to say that it does help a lot. When you come out of university (like I did 1 year ago) it's hard getting into the savage the working world is, foremost in our field. Most job offers require you being a freelancer and it's very hard becoming one at the beginning. You don't have experience and it implies investing money and losing tons of it too when you don't have clients. That's why I think it has a lot of advantages starting as an in-house translator. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I have always worked as an in-house translator | Mar 1, 2010 |
And I take assignments on week-ends. I feel that I learned a lot from a close contact to other in-house translators and my direct supervisor. I admit I would rather work from home, and I might eventually be a full-time freelancer. Salary-wise, it's easier being an in-house translator, although I would probably earn more being a freelancer.
| | | | Valeria Fuma
Argentina
Local time: 20:42
English to Spanish
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In my experience, I'd say that it's the best way to set out.
I've been working as an inhouse translator for more than 2 years and I'm learning a great deal.
| | | | Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:42
French to English
+ ...
I personally think it helps a great deal. I started off as an in-house translator in a big company, so I had the experience of my senior translator and the technical experts within the company to call on as I learnt my specialised field. Prior to that I'd had six months working as a proof-reader in a translation agency in Germany during my year abroad from univeristy, which was also invaluable as I could learn from the translations of experienced translators. When I eventually came to set myself... See more I personally think it helps a great deal. I started off as an in-house translator in a big company, so I had the experience of my senior translator and the technical experts within the company to call on as I learnt my specialised field. Prior to that I'd had six months working as a proof-reader in a translation agency in Germany during my year abroad from univeristy, which was also invaluable as I could learn from the translations of experienced translators. When I eventually came to set myself up as a freelance when I left the company on maternity leave, I was able to continue working for them and I also had contacts in the industry, which can be a huge problem for freelances starting out from scratch. I know that in-house jobs, especially with direct clients, are few and far between nowadays, but they're definitely worth seeking out just to give you a head start. ▲ Collapse
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| in-house / employee | Mar 2, 2010 |
@ Sophie: I worked for 2 years as an in-house freelance translator with Mercedes-Benz.
I am not an English native speaker, but I do consider "in-house" as a synonym for "on-site", and I don't find it has anything to do with the type of employment.
| | | | | Absolutely! The feedback is invaluable | Mar 4, 2010 |
I learned my trade working in-house for 20 years. The work was supervised (until I eventually became the supervisor) and there was always gentle guidance and feedback. Even as a supervisor I learned from feedback from my younger colleagues. It was like being paid handsomely and getting to go to school for 20 years.
I developed speed, fluency, and accuracy, so that when I became a free lance I could handle the work smoothly and produce more effectively. I can't imagine what kind of a... See more I learned my trade working in-house for 20 years. The work was supervised (until I eventually became the supervisor) and there was always gentle guidance and feedback. Even as a supervisor I learned from feedback from my younger colleagues. It was like being paid handsomely and getting to go to school for 20 years.
I developed speed, fluency, and accuracy, so that when I became a free lance I could handle the work smoothly and produce more effectively. I can't imagine what kind of a translator I would have been if I hand plunged directly into free-lancing without that supportive framework.
The emptiest part of being a free lance is the absence of ongoing feedback. ▲ Collapse
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